## 4b. Literary Fragment(s)

Introduction

The chivalric poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight starts at a New Year's Eve celebration at the court of King Arthur in Camelot. The King and his knights are sitting at the Round Table when a giant of a man, clad in green clothing and with green skin, comes in on a green horse. He presents himself as the Green Knight and challenges Arthur to the following: that Arthur deals him a blow with his axe now, and that the Green Knight will return the same blow in a year and a day. Gawain, Arthur's nephew and a young and ambitious knight, leaps up to take up the challenge on his king's behalf. He strides up to the Green Knight, takes his axe and cuts the Green Knight's head clean off. However, the Green Knight does not fall dead to the ground. Instead, he calmly picks up his head, mounts his horse and tells Gawain he will expect to see him in a year and a day at the Green Chapel.

Gawain is quite concerned, but cannot think of a way to get out of the challenge. So, after almost a year, he takes his leave of court and travels to find the Green Chapel. On his search, he comes to a castle, owned by a knight called Bertilac, who informs him that the Green Chapel is quite close by and offers Gawain to rest at his castle for a few days before he sets out for the Green Chapel. Gawain gratefully accepts this offer. Bertilac gives him another offer: that Gawain rests at the castle a few days while Bertilac goes out hunting, and that at the end of the day they will exchange whatever they have received that day. Gawain accepts this offer too...

➜ Read the fragments from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight below
➜ Answer the comprehension questions you will find below the text.
➜ Upload a screenshot of your results to Seesaw/Egodact.

Gawain lies in bed and is approached by the lady of the castle

Thus larks the lord by linden-wood eaves,

while Gawain the good man gaily abed lies,

lurks till the daylight gleams on the walls,

under canopy full clear, curtained about.

And as in slumber he lay, softly he heard

a little sound at his door, and it slid open;

and he heaves up his head out of the clothes,

a corner of the curtain he caught up a little,

and watches warily to make out what it might be.

It was the lady, the loveliest to behold,

that drew the door after her full silent and still,

and bent her way to the bed; and the knight ashamed,

laid him down again lightly and feigned to sleep.

And she stepped silently and stole to his bed,

caught up the curtain and crept within,

and sat her full softly on the bedside

and lingered there long, to look when he wakened.

The lord lay low, lurked a full long while,

compassing in his conscience what this case might

mean or amount to, marvelling in thought.

But yet he said to himself: ‘More seemly it were

to descry with speech, in a space, what she wishes.’

Then he wakened and wriggled and to her he turned,

and lifted his eyelids and let on he was startled,

and signed himself with his hand, as with prayer, to be

safer.

With chin and cheek full sweet,

both white and red together,

full graciously did she greet,

lips light with laughter.

The lady of the castle gives Gawain a kiss, which he returns to lord Bertilac that night. So it goes on, but on the third day, the lady of the castle gives Gawain a green girdle, which she claims will protect the wearer from harm. Gawain gives lord Bertilac the kisses he's received, but he keeps the girdle for himself.

When Gawain confronts the Green Knight, he is standing ready with his axe. The Green Knight strikes but refrains from hitting him; Gawain flinches in fear and the knight berates him for his cowardice. The Green Knight strikes again, but again doesn't hit Gawain. On the third stroke, the Green Knight hits Gawain very lightly, nicking his neck and drawing blood. He then goes on to reveal his true identity as Lord Bertilac!

‘For it is mine that you wear, that same woven girdle;

my own wife gave it you, I know it well forsooth.

Now, know I well your kisses and conduct too,

and the wooing of my wife; I wrought it myself.

I sent her to test you, and truly I think you

the most faultless man that was ever afoot.

As a pearl beside whitened pea is more precious,

so is Gawain, in good faith, beside other good knights.

But here sir you lacked a little, wanting in loyalty;

but that was for no wily work, nor wooing neither,

but for love of your life – so I blame you the less.’

The other strong man in study stood a great while,

so aggrieved that for grief he grimaced within.

All the blood of his breast burnt in his face,

that he shrank for shame at all the man said.

The first words the knight could frame on that field:

‘Curse upon cowardice and covetousness both!

In you are villainy and vice that virtue distress.’

Then he caught at the knot and pulled it loose,

and fair flung the belt at the man himself:

‘Lo! There’s the falseness, foul may it fall!

For fear of your knock cowardice me taught

to accord with covetousness, forsake my kind,

the largesse and loyalty that belongs to knights.

Now am I faulted and false, and ever a-feared;

from both treachery and untruth come sorrow

and care!

I confess to you knight, here, still,

my fault in this affair;

let me understand your will,

and henceforth I shall beware.’

The Green Knight laughs and says that he pardons Gawain, for he understands he holds his own life dear. He confesses the whole thing was a scheme by Morgan Le Fay, a sorceress, who wished to upset Arthur's wife. Gawain is truly shamed by his cowardice and his treachery and vows to wear the green sash forever to remind him of the importance of honesty. Upon his return to court, the other knights also adopt the green sash.